“If your actions create a legacy that inspires others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, then you are an excellent leader.”
Last Friday, we concluded our Level 4 training course in Therapy, Early Intervention, and Classroom. The consensus from the Global Foundation team members and the participating Vietnamese teachers and therapists alike is that the participants have made great strides in their professional development since last summer. There is no doubt that the quality and commitment of our team’s teaching effort is a big driver of that progress and it also speaks to the value of the continuity provided by the mobile mission and video analysis programs that we offer throughout the year.
One of the goals of our Vietnam Deaf Education Program is to develop Vietnamese leaders who will not only utilize the skills that we teach, but also share their knowledge and inspire their peers to learn more and do more to help children with hearing loss reach their potential. As I wrote in an earlier post, there is evidence that several Vietnamese are already doing this. As we move into the next year of our Vietnam Deaf Education Program, we will provide added focus to the top performers so they are well prepared to teach others. A goal is that they will join our teaching corps during next summer’s training program.
Meanwhile, our audiology program got underway last week. The Level 3 and Level 4 Vietnamese audiology participants took part in lecture, practicum, and clinical sessions with families to continue to build technical skills in pediatric audiology. A workshop for mainstream teachers increased awareness and understanding for the educational needs of children who are deaf or hard of hearing who are entering the mainstream schools.
We were also honored to have videographer Austin Chapman and Art of the Story join our program from the US for a few days. Art of the Story is producing a film about the Global Foundation’s work for Phonak that will be released later this year.
Tomorrow is the start of a new week and our Level 3 program for Vietnamese teachers and therapists. The participants will learn how to assess children with hearing loss using the Global Foundation development charts, set goals for their auditory and language development, and identify and execute strategies and activities to meet those goals. The program involves live sessions with 48 children under 6 years of age in therapy, early intervention, and classrooms.
On the audiology side, the Vietnamese will continue their clinical practice with families. We also have an administrators workshop scheduled which will involve 25 principals from the 38 schools in our program. The goal of the administrators workshop is to provide a forum for identifying needs and opportunity areas within early intervention and audiology across these school programs in Vietnam and how the Global Foundation can help support the Vietnamese effort to improve the system.
There are lots of moving parts and the work is challenging for every one involved but there is no better feeling that working as a team across culture and language to achieve a common goal. We are so encouraged by the progress made and look forward to continuing to build on the great work that has been done by so many associated with this effort. Here’s to another great week!